


A Kindling, of Sorts

by mfirebird



Series: With Love, Always [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: At least the start of one, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Slow Burn, Weird middle aged guys figure out how to love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:08:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29724639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mfirebird/pseuds/mfirebird
Summary: Duck and Ned rekindle an old romance.
Relationships: Edmund "Ned" Chicane & Aubrey Little & Duck Newton, Edmund "Ned" Chicane & Duck Newton, Edmund "Ned" Chicane/Duck Newton
Series: With Love, Always [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184570
Comments: 5
Kudos: 5





	A Kindling, of Sorts

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Poacher Turned Gamekeeper](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13719399) by [TrueColours](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueColours/pseuds/TrueColours). 



> I relistened to amnesty a few months ago and it reawakened my absolute love for this rarepair. You can thank [TrueColours](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueColours/pseuds/TrueColours) and [Anbessette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anbessette/pseuds/Anbessette) for this fic, since their ned/duck fics are the main inspiration behind this au. I highly recommend reading Poacher Turned Gamekeeper If you want the background context for this fic. Also [Something to Keep](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21709135) and [Amnesty Angst Triangle](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22724242/chapters/54303163) which are based off it as well. They’re great reads, and very cute and well written.
> 
> I have a lot of plans for this au, possibly including a whole new arc set in between the tree and shapeshifter ones. This is mostly a little fic to give context to some other stuff I have planned. Hopefully I can finish and share a lot of the fics I have started. I hope you like it!

After taking down that first abomination with the pine guard, Duck’s world is turned upside down. He isn't running from his destiny anymore, though he can hardly believe it. Minerva’s been piling on the new expectations and duties, and he has to deal with Beacon’s loudmouth jabs once again, which he thought he’d been rid of for good after pawning that thing off to Ned. His job gives him some bedrock of normalcy, which he desperately needs right now, but it's having things like this to look forward to that’s been keeping him mostly sane.

He's at the Cryptonomica watching as Aubrey, Kirby, and Ned plaster tacky horror decorations on every available surface. They're setting up some kind of promotional video for some kind of horror movie night Ned's been planning. Duck’s a little fuzzy on the details, but it seems like a big deal to Ned, so here he is.

He’s been spending more time with Ned lately, coming to see him more often, Aubrey too. Ned’s business is booming after that bigfoot video, (which Duck’s still not sure he’s in support of, but Aubrey seemed to be on top of smoothing it out with the lodge) and he’s been needing help prepping for this show.

He and Aubrey have both started coming by the Cryptonomica semi-regularly. Ned usually has something entertaining going on that they can help with, and the addition of Aubrey tends to add more excitement to whatever it is. Duck likes those two. Sure it’s a strange little group, not one he ever would have seen himself spending time with, but it's undeniably fun when the three of them are all together. 

Duck had... felt something, after that first night. When the monster was dead, Aubrey was recovering in the hospital, and everything was crazy and unreal and still tinged with crashing adrenaline. A fleeting desire that flashed through his mind. He’d wanted to go home with Ned, wanted to not be alone that night. He’d wanted to have a cup of tea with him, and for everything to feel safe and normal. He’d wanted to be comforted by his best friend, and then suddenly it struck him, he wanted what Ned gave him all those years ago. Something that would help him take his mind off it all. 

For a moment the comforting image in his head is so real, and it sounds so good, but that time had passed, it wasn’t something he could cling to now. Doubt fills his heart at the thought of jeopardizing their friendship, especially now that they’d be working together for the foreseeable future. That thought makes him chicken out from asking. 

He goes home. He greets Minerva. she doesn’t answer, seemingly frozen into place. He falls into bed. He's numb and exhausted and a little scared of everything and nothing right now. He's lulled to sleep by a song coming from the softly glowing silhouette of his new mentor.

•••

He pushes the thoughts from that night to the back of his mind, keeps denying himself any time they come back up. He can’t help but feel like he and Ned would be such a weird pairing. He feels his stomach flip uncomfortably any time he thinks about something drastic changing in their relationship.

So why does he keep thinking about it?

It’s been about a month since the night they killed that giant bear thing. A month since he’d seen Ned shove a flaming stick down a monster’s throat. A month since he’d met Aubrey, who had the power to set said stick on fire with her mind. A month since he’d felt more terrified and more alive than he had in years.

He steps into a cool shower. The water shocks him out of his groggy state. He’d been caught up in a memory: Ned crashing through the trees in his car, singing at the top of his lungs, allowing himself to be used as a distraction for the abomination. Stupid, and brave, and alright, a little bit charming. Duck grabs a bar of soap and lathers it over his body. Was it really so strange to want him like that?

As he’s brushing his teeth he gives himself a hard stare in the mirror. The age difference isn’t even that drastic. Eight or nine years would be a lot to some people, but at his age… Was it that important? He spits into the sink. 

They were a lot younger when they met, though he definitely didn’t feel it at the time. With Duck just starting his thirties and Ned just ending them. And now ten years later- Jesus had it really been ten years? Ten years and he’s still caught up on this little fling of theirs. In all the time since he hadn’t really dated much, hadn’t found anyone else he wanted to be with. He’s never been all too keen on it, dating that is, but it's hard to deny the little pang of loneliness in him when he thinks about it like that. 

Sleeping with Ned that one time was the only action he’d seen in a good long while. He isn’t embarrassed by the fact, doesn't find his lack of a love life all that sad. He knows others might see it differently, but when did he start caring about that. He knows what he needs in life. He has a steady career, good friends, hobbies, a cat—who is doing her best to trip Duck up by walking between his legs on his short trip to his dresser—and now he has this pine guard stuff. Which is sort of like a club.

...OK maybe he should get out there more. Try to see some action. Get laid... Maybe he should just bite the bullet and ask Ned already. 

His cat, Juniper, jumps up to land in front of him on the dresser. He pets her and snorts as she pushes her head into his hand. “What do you think about all this?” 

Juniper says nothing, and walks away.

“You’re no help,” He sighs, then finishes getting ready for the day.

•••

It’s after defeating the water monster that he and Ned once again start to get closer. Duck confides in him about Minerva, his destiny, the whole nine yards. He tells him about how he tried to run from it. This somehow lands him on the topic of.. That night.

They’re on the couch. Takeout boxes spread across the table and in their laps. Duck digs through his food with a plastic fork as he talks 

“There was a time back when we first met where you said somethin’. I don’t remember what it was, something about destiny. Or, or accepting who you are. And for a second. I got so mad, like ‘oh my god, did minerva send this guy just to fuck with me?’” 

Ned gives a short huff of a laugh. He finishes chewing the mouthful of noodles he’d just slurped into his mouth. “Wait which time was this? I don’t recall saying that.” 

“Uh, y’know,” He scratches the back of his neck and affects a casual tone. Ned’s carpet suddenly looks very interesting. “It was that night. We got drinks… came back to your place.”

“Ah,” Ned taps the side of his nose in understanding, “That night.” he takes another bite of whatever noodle dish he was eating. Duck doesn’t know why he feels a rush of relief that Ned hadn’t forgotten. Maybe because it had stuck in the back of Duck’s mind for so many years. Always a possibility that he’d never seen fit to grab. Duck tries to remember what he was talking about.

“Anyways, uh, I thought— I realized soon after this wasn’t the case— but I thought maybe it was all something she set up just to neg me about the whole ‘chosen one responsibility’ shtick.” Duck pauses as another thought hits him. Now that the night is on his mind and out in the open, he feels like he has to ask, “....It’s not… weird that we’ve slept together before, right?” 

Ned, who seems surprised at the sudden change in topic, takes a second to swallow his food and put down his fork. “No! Of course not. Two of the only gay men in a small town, it was bound to happen at some point.” 

“Yeah. Right.” He says, expression contemplative as he picks at his food.

“Besides,” Ned continues, trying to ease Duck’s worries, “that was a long time ago. We’ve got a decade of friendship on top of that.”

“Yeah…” He trails off, and there's a long pause in the conversation. He wants to ask him something, the words sit right on the tip of his tongue, but he’s not sure how to shape them correctly. A casual, maybe joking question. Maybe something like _Do you ever think about that night?_ He’s suddenly very aware of what might happen if he fucks this up. He was never all too good with words, but maybe Ned wouldn’t mind that. Just as he’s about to open his mouth, Ned clears his throat and beats him to the punch. 

“Not that it. Wasn’t an enjoyable experience. I remember that night quite fondly.” He says, giving Duck a smile.

Duck huffs a laugh, feeling a little weight lift off him. “Really?” 

“Of course! It’s not every day the universe sends a dashing, handsome forest ranger right into my arms.” 

Duck smiles. He hopes the blush he can feel creeping into his cheeks isn’t visible. “Well, thanks. You ain’t so bad yourself.” he says, nudging his elbow into his friend’s side. 

He gets quiet for a moment after that, then continues. “It was a real nice night y'know… I don’t think I ever told ya but it. meant a lot to me.” He had Ned’s full undivided attention now. “I was just wondering if maybe. if you’d ever want to… wait. fuck let me start over. It’s just, we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately and I just think. We’re really good together y'know… So if you’d ever want to maybe we could...” 

“Fuck?” “go on a date?” they speak at the same time. Duck lets out a single disbelieving laugh. “Ned Chicane!” he says, faking a scandalized expression.

Ned stammers for a second, blustering “W-Well, I thought that’s where you were going with it!” 

“Pfft.” He falls back against the couch in quiet laughter. Ned joins in, which lifts a bit more nervousness off of Duck’s shoulders, “But yes, that was basically where I was going with that.”

Once their laughter fades Ned tries again, “I just- Would you really want to?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.” Duck admits.

Ned’s eyes look bright and full of hope. He smiles. Then he shifts to a jokingly skeevy expression “You really wanna get down and dirty with Ol’ Ned.” 

“Not when you say it like that, no,” he responds flatly, repressing a snort.

•••

At the ski resort Duck finds Ned and asks him to have dinner with him. He wasn’t thinking of it as a date, just wanted to get a cup of soup with him, shoot the shit like they always did, get what he wanted to say off his chest. It’s only after they talk that that he remembers. Hang on, they’re supposed to be dating. Is this a date? It's kind of a first date, if you think about it. That is, if that first drink they had together years ago didn’t count. When Duck finishes talking about french onion soup and shuts his mouth before he starts rambling, Ned reaches across the table and puts a comforting hand over his.

He comforts Duck about his destiny, tells him how brave he thinks Duck is and how much he admires him. Duck’s not sure how Ned can say all that after he just admitted to turning down saving the world to eat soup. 

Duck tells Ned he’s just as brave, brings up all the dangerous crazy shit he did. Ned tries to bring up how he couldn't even help Duck when he was in danger. 

Duck counters him. “Hey I froze up too, man. When that monster had you I couldn’t do a damn thing.” He pushes back the shame at that memory, squeezing his eyelids shut and then looking back up at Ned. “It happens. We’re both new at this. We’re both just normal guys... and we're probably way, way in over our heads," he chuckles, and sqeezes Ned's hand, "But now. At least we have each other.” 

Duck knows it’s corny as soon as it leaves his mouth, but it gets Ned smiling. One of his real big smiles. Different from his many sly smirks or fake grins. This one is honest and warm and, as Duck comes to discover, highly contagious.

•••

Duck's cat stares at him from his bedside table. He lies sprawled out on his mattress. He's not usually one to lie in bed for no reason, but sword training with Minerva has been kicking his ass lately, so he feels like he deserves a little wallowing.

He looks back at his cat, who stares into his soul.  
“What am I doing?” he mutters to himself. He gets up and goes to the phone, only hesitates a moment before dialing.

“Cryptonomica, home to the most astonishing oddities from around the world, Ned “Ripley” Chicane speaking.”

“Hey Ned, it's Duck.”

“Duck! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“H…Hey, you wanna come over?” his voice cracks and he silently curses himself.

•••

Duck’s heart is pounding in his chest, but he wants this. Ned taking his hand on the couch feels like electricity up his spine and makes a shiver run up his entire arm. Ned gives him a lopsided smile, Duck thinks he sees some nervousness buried in his face too. Ned leans over first, and Duck kisses back. Ned's hands come up to touch him, his hips, the small of his back. Duck actually jumps, breaking the kiss.

“Sorry,” Ned laughs at the same time Duck mutters his own apology. He’s embarrassed at his own skittishness, but Ned’s laugh doesn’t feel judgemental at least.

Ned settles in easier this time. He tilts his head, still chuckling, and breathes out a sigh as their lips connect again. Kissing Duck is a comfort on his soul, one that he had been missing all these years. So he kisses him again and again. He pulls back for a second and makes eye contact with Duck before touching him again, resting his hand gently on his side. Duck smiles at him, and Ned realizes he’s already smiling back. Duck’s hands come to rest on Ned’s shoulders while Ned explores his torso, hands roaming over the fabric of his shirt. 

Duck takes a moment to breathe. He can’t remember the last time he was touched like this. Maybe it was Ned ten years ago. He remembers how he felt the last time, so unused to this, so touch-starved, basically everything he’s feeling now. He’s a little more jumpy, knowing what’s to come. The thrill of kissing a stranger is replaced by the terror of kissing a friend. He’s afraid this might ruin what they have, but at the same time it feels so easy, so right, like this was hiding under the surface all this time.

He leans in again, pulls Ned a little closer. Ned seems to relax a bit against him, and Duck relaxes too. He realizes how stiff his posture had been. Hands roam over his body. He starts to loosen up enough to touch Ned’s body a bit more. He wants him to get as much as he does out of this. He places his hand on his thigh and runs it up and down, squeezes it. Ned’s hands, which had just gotten his shirt untucked, come up to undo the first button. 

Ned pulls back again and looks at Duck for confirmation. “Y’alright?” 

“Yeah, You?” Duck says. 

He smiles “Doin’ just fine.” He pulls the second button open. Kisses his neck. A few minutes later they’re in the bedroom, Ned’s thigh pressed between Duck’s legs. 

There’s kissing and groping, some awkward fumbling and hushed laughter. The room is filled with the squeaking of box springs as Duck’s mattress is put to the test. Moans fill the air between them. After not too long there's a spectacular finish, and the two of them are left panting, puffs of breath hitting each other’s faces. Both of them wonder what comes now. 

Ned lands in bed next to Duck, facing him to see his reaction, wondering if this was a mistake. It doesn't feel like one to him. Duck looks over and smiles at him. He looks… Thrilled. Relieved, even. Ned can relate to that, feeling the same emotions coursing through him at Ducks reaction.

The sweet call of a post-coital midday nap is too much for either of them to resist, so without discussion, they scoot in closer, and Duck lays his head on Ned’s chest. It's everything Duck had been wanting for he didn't even know how long. They’re both lulled to sleep in the warmth of their afterglow.

•••

It’s a sort of friends with benefits type thing, they decide. While they like each other just fine, they’re not sure they’re ready to jump into a whole relationship just yet. They want to test the waters first; that way there won’t be any need to make things awkward if it doesn’t work out.

It goes better than expected. It’s not an epic romantic soulmate-level connection, but it's _good_. It’s always good when they get together. Nothing awkward or bad about it like they feared. They both have fun. They enjoy each other’s company. Most importantly, they can still hang out like normal friends, even with everything going on. That's the biggest relief to both of them, that nothing feels like it's changed too much, that they still have a friendship in all this to fall back on. They can lean against one another, draw on each other’s strength in all the chaos of monster hunting, and then at the end of the day they can fall into bed together. It's casual, and nice, and leaves them both feeling good after letting off some steam. 

What shocks them is how easily it comes to them, the physical aspect. For men their age, and so out of practice, they didn’t expect it to be so easy, but they're so good at fucking it's crazy.

It starts with just simple stuff, nothing really intense, as expected. Then, they start steadily doing it more. Neither of them expected the attraction between them to be so strong, but it's definitely mutual. They joke about how they act younger now than they did when they first met. The times they’re together get more frequent and more intense. It's fun, it's almost absurd for guys their age but they see no reason to slow down if they don’t wanna. 

No one knows they’re together yet, but if they notice the way Duck’s been more relaxed and loose and humorous, or how Ned's been more happy and boisterous and radiant, well they don't say anything. Probably chalking it up to Duck getting on the new workout routine, or Ned basking in the success of his new show.

It takes them a while to navigate this new arrangement, to get into the groove of sleeping with someone regularly. They have ten years of dust to shake off, after all. But they’re of course always patient with each other, gentle, never expecting more than the other can give. 

Whatever simple relationship they've built together, it didn’t need more. Both of them were satisfied with just the occasional quickie at one of their places, but the relationship develops, as good relationships often do, in a way they’re both happy with. They contemplate it being some sort of sylvain magic; could a mysteriously good sex life be some side effect of crossing over into another world? Neither of them can say for sure, but they know what they feel for each other. It’s real and it’s special, and despite what they fear, it never burns out.


End file.
